AN: Obviously I do not own HP or any of the magical world the lovely JK Rowling created for us. I only take credit for this idea, never the story 3
09:57 50km south-west of Inverness, Scotland 08/30/76
Marlene didn't know how long she had been running for, her chest no longer burned and her legs had long since urged for her to stop. The ringing in her ears hadn't stopped since she properly read the contract her father had slid across the table at her during breakfast. While she had always known this day would come, in her youthful ignorance, she had convinced herself that maybe it wouldn't.
"We will plan for it to be during the summer after you graduate, Marlene." Her father explained to her while Marlene's mother, who looked so much like her daughter, stood beside him with an arm on his shoulder. Ever the diligent and proper wife."I have no choice in any of this then?" Marlene asked, her voice small and timid compared to the rage that had filled her. "It's my marriage, and I don't get any choice? I'm just auctioned off to the highest bidder?" she asked as tears attempted to spill over her cheeks. Her mother pursed her lips and looked as though she was going to respond before her father did."We, as your parents, will make the appropriate choice for you. We will have you marry a respectable man with a family whose ideals match our own." His dark eyes bore into his daughters. Everyone always commented on how much Marlene resembled her mother but she had inherited her father's eyes; which had held such warmth when she was a child, but as she had grown older had grown cold and demanding.
Marlene looked down to her plate, her appetite spoiled. "May I..?" she asked, placing her napkin down beside her plate. "I was wanting to go train for a couple of hours." She asked, looking up but avoiding both of their gazes. Her father nodded, himself standing and stalking off to his office. Marlene stood, glancing once more down at the piece of parchment that sat between them all. Without looking towards her mother she grabbed it and moved out of the room and once she knew they couldn't hear her she bolted. She just started running and didn't know if she was going to ever stop. Her tears finally broke through and slipped down her cheeks as she moved gracefully through the grounds of her family's estate.
Finally, after her legs felt they would slip out from under her, she collapsed into the grass and stared up to the sky. She angrily swiped away her tears as her future began to build without her having a choice. Her father would marry her into a horrible Pureblooded family and she would become just like her mother, stoic and obedient.
"Fuck." She whispered to herself as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She looked out over the lochs in the distance and watched as the birds flew freely in the would never be free, she had been bred and raised to be a perfectly obedient daughter and trained on how to be an ideal wife. Holding herself tighter she sighed, knowing nothing she ever did would be in her control. Staying out in the fields for hours, Marlene's mind was blank. It seemed like it had shut down and she barely noticed the soft sprinkling of rain on her skin until she was shivering. Sighing, she stood and moved to walk back to the looming house in the far distance. She had only two more days at home before she would be returning to Hogwarts for her sixth year and while she was excited to return to her friends, knowing what was waiting for her only two short years away spoiled her usual joy.
As she walked through the doors, the suffocating feeling doubled and Marlene sped towards her room. When she finally was behind a closed door she peeled her damp, sweaty clothes and stepped into her shower and let the hot water glide over her. She knew there was no point in arguing with them, if she even had the courage to do that. How could she consider herself a Gryffindor if she was only ever going to let her family walk all over her and make decisions for her?
20:00 Hogsmeade Station, Hogsmeade Village 09/01/76
The Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform exactly on time, as it did every year prior. Marlene Mckinnon stood waiting for her classmates to depart the train, bouncing on her toes. It was something she did wish she didn't miss out on, but she had also loved living close enough to Hogwarts for a quick side-along Apparation with her sister; Marie.
"McKinnon!" Someone shouted from the crown, and Marlene saw a similar flash of black curls pushing through. Dorcas Meadowes, her best friend since first year crashed into her. The two girls giggled, holding each other tightly. "Dor! I missed you!" Marlene pushed her away to take in her best friend, "Oh my god, I am loving this natural look! No more Sleakeazy's!" Dorcas did a quick spin, pulling a quick pose before once again hugging her. "Thanks babes, Reed and I became properly obsessed while in Monaco!" Dorcas explained. Marlene had been invited to join the Meadowes family while they travelled along the south of France and over into Italy, but her parent's had chosen for her to stay in two girls spoke excitedly while waiting for their friends to join them. She saw Lily Evans walking over with Alice Howard and smiled at the two girls, "Hey! Either of you seen Macdonald?" she asked, looking for their friend."Yeah, she was talking with Amos the last I saw her." Alice rolled her eyes, hugging Dorcas and then Marlene. Mar rolled her eyes, knowing that only drama came when Mary was speaking with Amos Diggory. "That girl has yet to learn…" she chided.
"I think it's cute, it's obvious they like each other. I just wish he would finally ask her out." Lily smiled, pulling her slipping shoulder strap up her arm. Marlene tried not to give a grim face, she really had. But she knew better than to trust that Amos Diggory was going to treat Mary properly, and Mary was not one to be naïve about boys like him."C'mon Lily, you can't be that much of a hopeless romantic. He's a player and eventually they'll get bored of this game." She shrugged. Before Lily could respond though, Marlene saw a flash of black hair and robes before she fest someone slam into her.
"Mars! I missed you!" James Potter yelled while holding her in a tight hug. Marlene laughed as she wrapped her arms around the boy. "Potter!" she pushed him away, giving him a quick once over, "You've been working out! Filling out nicely, soon you'll be matched with the Prewetts!" She joked, looking over his shoulder and waving to the rest of his friends. Remus nodded hello, Peter gave her a shy wave and Sirius Black winked mischievously at her."Oh McKitten, you and I both know that neither of those gingers stand a chance against all James Fleamont Potter has to offer." Sirius joked, earning a laugh from the group and a shove from pulled away from James, rolling her eyes at Black's comment. "It's McKinnon, Black. You know I hate that name." she scolded him. Sirius winked at her, "Okay, does Legs work? Or what about Scots?" he grinned. Marlene would have responded if she hadn't noticed Lily's glares she was shooting to Potter.
"Did you need something Potter? Or did you want to stay and annoy us more?" She spat angrily. Surprisingly, James didn't respond and instead looked around for Imogen Tyler, Marlene assumed. As much as she had enjoyed the idea of James and Lily being together, she was happy he had gotten together with Imogen over the summer, the two girls had spent some of the holidays together at the Potter Estate.
"Let's go grab a carriage then boys?" He asked his friends, blatantly ignoring Lily. The others nodded and all four boys left to catch their carriage up to the castle. Lily stood for a moment silently staring after James, her mouth hanging open.
"Lils, you're going to catch a firefly in there if you keep that up." Alice joked, nudging Lily. "He didn't even respond! Not a single word! I'm shocked." Lily said as the four girls walked towards the smirked, "Yeah, well. You were a bit of a bitch to him at the end of term Lil, he grew up a lot over the summer." She tried to explain. But Lily scoffed, "Potter? Grow up? What kind of charm does he have on you to think he's capable of that?" Lily spat, crossing her arms over her chest. Marlene had wanted to reply but the look Alice shot her stopped whatever may have left her mouth. Instead she looked out the window and watched as Hogwarts appeared from behind the trees.
Her chest rose with a wave of excitement and anticipation as the school came fully into view. There would not be a time when she didn't get that same feeling every time she returned to the school. Hogwarts had felt more like home in only six short years than her own home had in eleven. While she had been so excited to return, she felt a pull at her heart that she would only have two more years before she would be leaving. Life would be changing drastically after she was finished with her education, which had become very clear during the summer.
20:15 Great Hall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland 09/01/76
The carriage ride up the winding roads to the school had been filled with Marlene being filled in with all of her friends summer holidays. Lily's older sister Petunia had moved out of the house and into a modest home with her fiancé; Vernon Dursley, much to Lily's chagrin. Dorcas had met a French wizard by the name of Emile during her stay in the south of France and the two had spent most of their free time together and had promised to write to each other week while she was in school. Alice had gone to Frank Longbottom's home to meet his mother for the first time as Frank's serious girlfriend, and Alice assured her friends that the woman had hated her and disapproved of Frank's choice of girlfriend. Mary McDonald had spent most of her summer with their roommate; Emmeline Vance in Manchester. The two girls spoke of their adventures in Muggle Manchester and their nights out drinking and partying with Emmeline's muggle friends from home.
The five girls joined the river of students walking up the front steps of their school and into the Entrance Hall before they spotted their final two roommates; Eugenia Rivers and Yasmina Balkoush. The two girls waved politely at the group before continuing their conversation with their Ravenclaw friends."Honestly, why do they even bother living in our dormitory when it's obvious they don't want to be around us?" Dorcas questioned hotly, rolling her eyes as the other group of girls giggled loudly when James Potter and Sirius Black walked past them."Because they, unlike us Dor, worship the group those two walk on." Mary rolled her eyes as Sirius flashed a wink over his shoulder towards Eugenia, who in turn gave him a seductive smile. Marlene chuckled at her friends before leading them into the Great Hall and seated herself towards the back of the table with the rest of Gryffindor's sixth year students.
"We can't sit so far back Mar, I want to make sure I hear everything Professor Dumbledore has to say." Lily complained, looking for somewhere to sit closer to the front of the long table. "C'mon Lilypad! We're sixth years! What could Dumbledore possibly say that we haven't heard five times already?" Sirius Black joked, sitting across from Marlene with Remus Lupin slumping down beside him."Because Black, I actually care about what our Headmaster has to say at the beginning of term, unlike you and Potter who use the time to plan one of your idiotic pranks." Lily snapped back, dropping next to Marlene in a huff as the table quickly filled, "Hello Remus, did you have a lovely summer holidays?" She asked kindly, her mood shifting quickly towards the most responsible Marauder."It was fine. I got through most of the list of books you recommended. Thank you for that." Remus smiled at her redheaded friend and the two quickly picked up an animated conversation about their summer readings.
Marlene smiled at the two of them, her lovely little bookworms she called them lovingly. Before she could speak next, James and Peter Pettigrew skid into the Great Hall only a moment before Dumbledore stood to speak. Lily opened her mouth to scold the two boys, but before she could start Dumbledore's voice carried through the Hall as his welcomed the returning students back to school. With a quick glance to Potter she saw him silently communicate with the other two boys with a quick nod and turned, grinning towards their Headmaster as he welcomed first years into the Great Hall, led by Gryffindor's Head of House, Professor McGonagall.
Usually there seemed to be a mass of nervous eleven year old's flooding into the hall, a sea of black robes and caps. But everyone couldn't help but notice the lack of numbers this year, there seemed to only be around twenty-five new students this year. Marlene's eyebrows knit together and she shot a quick questioning glance to Lily. "Why are there so few of them?" She asked herself aloud. Lily looked at her sadly and answered, "The war. So many people have died over the past twelve years people are too afraid to bring a child into a world like this. It happens in the Muggle world too, during times of war the number of children born is always low." She said softly, her voice filled with sadness. Marlene only nodded, knowing the current state of their world was in such disarray she couldn't imagine having a child in the middle of war time.
Professor McGonagall arranged the younglings in front of her as she climbed the steps towards the Sorting Hat which sat on its stool, waiting to once again sort students into their houses. Before McGonagall could lift the hat from its perch, its voice boomed throughout the Hall with its welcome song:
A thousand years ago,When I was still brand new
Four friends had built this schoolAnd that is always true
So try me on, and I will seeWhere you are truly meant to be.
From the earnest Eastern Sea, dear Hufflepuff
Who always covet compassion
To the sailing Southern Skies flies Ravenclaw
Who strive for knowledge
Far to the whispering Western Wood, lies Slytherin
Who takes only the resourcefu
lAnd to the noble Northern Sun, roars Gryffindor
Who show the most courage.
But do not fret, if you fear you do not belong
For I know where your dear heart lies
And I am never wrong
And in your House you will build strong ties
For Hogwarts is home, always
For you and for me.
As the hat finished its song, the older students cheered their house names, encompassing the whole Hall into a roar of House pride. Marlene had joined her classmates in standing on the benches as she yelled "Go! Go! Gryffindor!" Even Lily had stood with her and was cheering along proudly. It was only when Dumbledore stood with hands raised did the students return to their seats, the room still buzzing with their energy. McGonagall reached towards the Sorting Hat once more, holding it in her hand while the other held the list of First Years for sorting."Bea Acksley!" She called, a small raven haired girl marched up the steps and sat on the stool confidently, McGonagall placed the hat on the young girls' curls for only a moment before the hat spoke, "Ah, courageous and bold. I know only one place for a young lioness like yourself."Gryffindor!" The entire of Gryffindor's table cheered loudly as Bea stood and almost ran towards her new House, the colors on her robes changing as she sat down next to excited second years.
The rest of the sorting had been just as eventful as the first name was called to the last, with every house loudly accepting each new student. McGonagall picked up the hat from the last students head as he moved towards the Hufflepuff table and as she placed the hat back on its stool, it disappeared with a loud "Pop!" While McGonagall made her way back towards the staff table and took her seat on Professor Dumbledore's right, their Headmaster stood and moved graciously towards the phoenix podium that stood where the hat had only just.
Sirius had been right, Dumbledore's speech hadn't included anything he hadn't said to them the previous five years. Just his usual warnings to first years about which areas of the school were restricted from students and welcoming returning students back to Hogwarts. As he concluded his speech and raised his hands, the scattered First Years all gave a collected gasp as the tables filled with the welcome feast. Marlene quickly tucked into her own dinner, pilling mashed potatoes onto her plate and dousing the entire mountain of mash with a river of gravy. It didn't matter how many times she asked the house elves at home to make the combination, it never tasted like how she remembered it at Hogwarts. Forgoing all etiquette lessons, she began shoveling the food into her mouth, resembling a starved prisoner who had eaten for the first time in weeks. In reality, she only hadn't eaten much since her parents had told her of her own impending engagement, too nervous to eat.
"Easy there McKinnon, I do want you to be able to actually fly tomorrow. Your broom wont be able to carry you if you're an extra 4 stones of mash." James joked, his own plate matching most students in the Great Hall and being pilled high with food. Marlene flipped him off quickly before the ever watchful eye of her fifth year brother, Marius caught her. The last thing she needed was for him to write to their parents and sister, Marie, about her crude behavior during the Feast. Her eyes shifted towards him as he sat with his own friends further down the Gryffindor table, completely unaware of his own sister's existence.
"Why on Earth are we talking about Quidditch already Cap?" She asked, continuing to eat her dinner. "Quidditch doesn't start in weeks, and we still need to find ourselves a new Keeper anyway." She pointed out.
"We can never be too early or prepared McKinnon, I want to see how the rest of the team is after hols." James shrugged casually, "And I think I may have already found us a new Keeper anyway." He grinned, sending a quick wink to Imogen. Who grinned and winked back. The whole exchange was witnessed by an annoyed Lily who couldn't keep her mouth quiet if she tried around Potter. "Tell me Potter, what curse did you put on the poor girl to make her think that she actually likes you?" The fiery redhead spat out.
"Lil!" Marlene scolded her friend, who still hadn't taken her eyes off of James.
James looked back to Lily, annoyance filled his gaze, "Believe it or not Evans, I am quite likable to majority of the population. And, I'll have you know my relationship is none of your concern. You asked me to leave you alone, so I have." James replied unusually cooly towards Lily. The entire group had grown quiet watching the two spar, as usual it was Black who broke the silence.
"Dearest Lilypad, first you don't want the attention my dear Prongsie gives you. Now you can't bear to not be the only girl he fancies.. Do make up your mind." Sirius drawled. Lily shot a dangerous look towards the other Marauder but before she could spit out a reply, Marlene intervened.
"Merlin's beard Lily, I hate to admit it but Blacks right." Marlene snapped.
Lily whirled onto Marlene instead of Black, her eyes blazing. "Of course you stand up for them! All you ever do is stand up for them Marlene! You're supposed to be my friend, but you care more about that lot than you do me!" Lily yelled, causing the rest of the table to slowly stop their own conversations and focus solely on the group of sixth years. Marlene eyed the growing stares looking at the scene before realizing she didn't actually care if they listened to the argument.
"Oh please Lily! I'm the first one to acknowledge when they act like down right idiots." Marlene started, earning a quiet "Rude" from Black, "But right now you're acting like a right bitch to them! Stop thinking you're so much better than everyone! Please! It's exhausting constantly having to look up to you on your high horse." Marlene finished shouting at her friend, the two of them staring at each other with daggers in their eyes.
"Okay ladies, let's all just take a second to relax. Dessert is on it's way and I'm sure we could all use a little chocolate to-" Black was interrupted by the splat of mashed potatoes covering half his face. Marlene looked over to Lily who's hand still had some of the potatoes on it, a shocked look on her face. Marlene looked down at her plate to see the Lily sized hand of missing food before looking over towards Black who had a dangerous grin on his face.
"Oh you've started it now Evans!" He yelled before reaching down onto his own plate and firing a handful towards Lily.
Lily yelped and pulled Marlene in front of her as a shield, causing the blonde to be hit. Marlene squealed as a piece of baked ham slid down the front of her robes. The next second the entire of Gryffindor's sixth year students were pelting each other with food in a girls versus boys battle. When a Fabian Prewett overthrew his handful of peas and carrots and hit the Hufflepuff table behind Dorcas the entire Great Hall broke into a full on battle field of food and drink being thrown around. Marlene laughed as she used her plate as a shield and threw well aimed dinner rolls towards any student who was in her line of vision before Sirius Black stood on Gryffindor's table and upended an entire bowl of cranberry jelly over her head.
"Black!" She screamed, laughing as the red jelly covered her hair and slid down the back of her shirt. "You're finished now!" She threatened. But before she could retaliate, two jugs of pumpkin juice had levitated towards Black and emptied their entire contents onto his mop of black hair. When both students turned to see who was the culprit, they saw none other than Severus Snape and Regulus Black pocketing their wands into their school robes, a malicious grin covering Snape's face and a sly grin on the younger Black brother.
"Oi! You two slimy gits, you're going to regret that one!" Sirius warned, brandishing his own wand. As soon as he raised his wand the entire Great Hall emptied of food. Marlene whipped around to look at the staff table to see Professor McGonagall, standing wand raised and a pinched look on her face.
"I have never, seen such a poor display of manners. You should all be embarrassed by such poor excuses of behavior. I assume you're the one who decided such behavior Mister Black?" McGonagall asked. Sirius was still stood on the table, his wand raised towards his brother and Severus. He threw a cheeky grin towards McGongall before he spoke, "Oh Minnie. Must you always assume the worst in me?" He asked, his voice filled with faux innocence.
"50 points from Gryffindor. On behalf of Mister Black's behavior and cheek." Their head of house announced, a collective groan of annoyance came from the entirety of the Gryffindor table. Black jumped off the table and regained his seat across from the girls.
"Professor." Lily called, standing up, "It wasn't Black who started it.. I threw the food first." She admitted, her head low in shame. McGonagall looked genuinely shocked with Lily's confession. The deputy Headmistress stood taller, "Very well, thank you for your honestly Miss Evans. Instead of Mister Black's fifty, I will only take 25 points from Gryffindor. But, I will have you and Black clean up the entire Hall as punishment instead of detention." Marlene sat for a moment, stunned at Lily's admission before standing herself.
"I also started it Professor, and I don't think it's fair for only the two of them to have to clean when I also was involved." She called out, holding her head high as her parents taught her. She saw James stand from the corner of her eye, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, me too." he muttered.
"Very well. You four can tidy up this mess. The rest of you can retire to your common rooms for the remainder of the evening, McGonagall announced. But before the hall could clear her voice rang out again, "I believe you, Mister Snape and the other Mister Black, will be staying behind as well. Using magic in such a mess seems a bit unfair. You can help the others." She scolded, leaving the two Slytherin boys to gape at her in shock. They looked towards their own head of house, Professor Slughorn for assistance, but found none as he nodded in agreement over his glass of mulled wine.
As Prefects lead student's back to their respected common rooms, six students stood in the Great Hall. Four boys shot daggers at one another while Lily and Marlene stood with arms crossed over their chests. "Alright everyone. No need to stare each other to death." Marlene started, moving towards one of the buckets McGonagall had left for them. "Let's just get this done and be on our merry separate ways."
22:00 Great Hall 09/01/76
The six students had been cleaning silently for most of the hour and a half, they had split into groups of two and were in different areas of the room. Lily and Marlene were on ladders cleaning the walls and candle holders while Potter and Black were joking around cleaning the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, throwing looks of dislike towards the two Slytherin boys who were on the other side of the Hall cleaning the Ravenclaw and Slytherin ones.
"Mar," Lily called, pulling Marlene from her concentration. "I'm sorry, for what I said earlier... I know you don't choose the boys over me. The two of them just get right under my skin and make me lose my cool." She apologized. Marlene smiled at her friend, their earlier argument was already forgotten.
"It's okay Lil," She smiled, "And I'm really sorry I called you a bitch. That wasn't fair."
"I was a bitch Mar, but I shouldn't be one to you." The redhead smiled towards her. Lily shot a glance towards the Gryffindor table before looking back to Snape and Regulus. Marlene followed her friends gaze, carefully calculating how to approach the topic. "Have you spoken to him? Snive- I mean Snape. Since end of term?"
Lily sighed shaking her head, "No, he showed up a few times during the beginning of summer but my dad told him off for it. I can barely look at him anymore, how did someone I loved and trusted so much, turn into someone just as bad as his friends?" She asked Marlene, looking back to the blonde with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know Lil, you know I always thought he was a git... But I think most guys here are gits." Marlene chuckled trying to make her friend smile.
"It's not fair what he did to you, calling someone that was horrible. But calling your best friend that? It's unforgivable. And I know you don't like him, but if Potter hadn't cursed him first I would have. I'd curse anyone who thought they could call someone a 'Mudblood'." Marlene's voice dropped on the last word. Even though her family had no problem with the phrase, she could never understand calling anyone such a horrible word.
"Thanks Marley." Lily smiled at her, finishing up cleaning the last of the food off the wall. "And that's us done!" She grinned.
The two girls climbed down from their ladders and threw their clothes into their buckets before heading towards the entrance. Before they exited someone called from behind them for Marlene.
"McKinnon! Can I have a moment?"
Marlene looked behind her to see Regulus Black jogging towards her, she cast a quick glance to Lily, "I'll catch up Lil, I don't think I'll be long."
Lily shrugged, continuing out the hall. Marlene turned around fully to face Regulus who had just reached her, "What's up Black? Or, other Black?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.
Regulus smiled at her, "Regulus is fine. I know you're used to calling Sirius "Black"." He grinned at her. While the two brothers looked so similar Regulus was slightly taller that his brother and slimmer. "It's just a message from Snape for Evans. He wants to talk to her, I guess apologize" He finished.
Marlene crossed her arms defensively, "You can tell Snape that if Lily doesn't want to speak to him, he should get the hint that she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. And if you were smart Regulus, so would you." She said haughtly. Regulus gave her a look, "I'm fairly able to make my own decisions McKinnon, but thank you for your heavy concern." He said sarcastically, a smile on his face. Marlene tried not to smile back but couldn't help herself.
"I guess you're a big boy now, no longer little Reggy who I ran around Diagon Alley with as a kid." She grinned, the two of them remembering back to a time when the two of them and Sirius had wrecked havoc in London's main wizarding area. Regulus chuckled softly, "I don't miss that horrible nickname I will say. But, if you could pass on the message? I don't really want to play 'owl' hear between him and her for the entire rest of Hogwarts."
"I will, can't promise I won't be the one to bat bogey hex him if he comes near her though..." She warned jokingly. The two smiled at each other for a moment more before Marlene spoke again. "I should go, early morning and everything." She pointed back towards the entrance, "But it's good to see you Regulus." She turned around and followed where Lily had left towards the Gryffindor Tower.
Catching up with Lily had been easy, although her friend wasn't short or slow by any means, Marlene was the more athletic one of their dormitory so with only a jog up the stairs she caught up with her friend.
"What did Regulus want?" Lily asked as Marlene fell into step beside her.
"Not much, mainly he just wanted me to pass on a message that Snape wants to speak with you." She spoke, a little venom in her voice regarding Snape. Lily looked over at her, shocked. "He asked Regulus to speak to you? What a git. If he really wants to speak to me he can grow up and ask me himself." Lily spat out, her mood darkening once more.
"I sent that back, in so many words. I may have also sent a threat that if I saw him near you I wouldn't mind throwing a little curse." Marlene joked, brightening Lily's mood.
"Thanks Mar." Lily said as the two girls arrived at the Fat Lady, "Peppermint Twizzlers." She said the password, swinging the portrait open and revealing an empty common room. The entire of Gryffindor's students were already in their dormitories, sleeping off the feast in preparation for the start of classes tomorrow morning. The two girls climbed the stairs towards the sixth year room to join their classmates.
The five other girls were already in their respected beds, curtains drawn around their beds. Light snoring came from one of the beds while the two girls changed into their pajamas and went to the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash faces.
"Night Lil." Marlene called across to the bed opposite her as Lily climbed into her own bed, Lily replied tiredly and with not a moment longer both girls fell into dream filled sleeps.